Suspicious of United Council

Press, 11 July 1979, Page 19

Suspicious of United Council

By

BRIAR CAMBOURN

On May 31, by Order-in-CounciL the Governor General constituted the Canterbury United Council. The council groups into one regional body the 19 territorial local authorities between the Conway River in the north, the Rakaia River in the south, and the Southern Alps. There are now nine united (or regional) councils in New Zealand, all fathered by the Local

Government Commission under the Local Government Act, 1974 A provisional scheme for Canterbury was notified for public hearing and objections two years ago, and the Canterbury United Council is the outcome. It has 26 members, all appointed by its constituent local authorities, themselves elected by ratepayers. The United Council has powers to levy its constituents, on a

population or some other basis to meet its costs. The Local Government Act defines united council functions as regional planning and civil defence, and allows assumption of other functions under conditions strictly designed to protect existing ad hoc bodies and each constituent local authority. The United Council has its first meeting this afternoon. It promises to be testy one.

Canterbury’s mayors, councillors and ad hoc authorities are not enchanted advocates of the United Council of which thej are already members. They view the United Council suspiciously, as a body with the potential to take most of their functions from them.

Their suspicion seems to have some grounds. A bill has already been drafted that cuts right across the Local Government Act. 1974, which set united councils up and prescribed their functions. The Bill is the Urban Transport Bill— still in the confidential stages — which the Minister of Transport (Mr McLachlan) hopes to have before the House this session. It intends that United Councils containing the five main centres set up and maintain “efficient urban transport systems” to include all private and public bodies engaged in the movement of people and goods. The Local Government Act gives United Councils power to take on other functions only if two constitutent authorities having a specially calculated share of the region’s capital value, population and area, agree. The Act also allows any local authority to opt out of that function. “So much for the assurances that United Councils will not be put upon from the top,” said one disillusioned local body official. “If one Minister and his top officials decide to draft a bill telling us what to do, what’s to stop other Ministers doing exactly the same thing?” Very little, it appears. Another mandatory function threatens in the form of energy. The Ministry of Internal Affairs openly advocates a regional approach to energy, and the United Council in its regional planning function must deal with production and distribution of energy

Internal Affairs wants existing distribution authorities to work in “closest co-ooeration” with regional bodies. How long before another bill appears, requiring United Councils to control energy production and distribution?

The Local Government Amendment Bill now before the Local Bills Committee seems to gear the Canterbury United Council

’.o take over other ad hoc local bodies eventually — particularly the North Canterbury Catchment Board. and Drainage Board, and the Christchurch Metropolitan Refuse Disposal Committee.

The Government has given comforting assurances that United Councils are not a takeover bid, but ;. genuine attempt to set up machinery that will facilitate regional development, provide a better lobbying instrument in Wellington, and shift some Government powers closer to regional needs.

Local body officials appreciate the intention, but believe that events will give it the lie. They are concerned about the cost of the United Council to ratepayers as its functions expand, and its administrative costs grow. Civil defence and regional planning functions of the United Council should not make too much difference; local bodies are already levied

for these activities, but transport is another question. And who knows what might follow transport?

If the Urban Transport Bill becomes law, the United Council will no doubt absorb the Christchurch Transport Board with its present rating powers. But the council’s transport role will extend far beyond running buses. Where will the money come from?

The Transport Bill says United Councils will be supported in their transport function from petrol tax, rates, and National Roads Board funds — money which comprises a good part of rural county income in particular. “They might say United Councils won’t weaken territorial government, but what else happens when they take your money off ■ ou.” lamented a county chairman.

“I strongly suspect we’re being used to subsidise the S6OM loss on the railways,” he said. “It all looks like a big ploy to shift the bill from the taxpayer to the ratepayer.” There is no guarantee of fine icial support from the Government in th»

bill It says only that the Urban Transport Council, which will sit in Wellington, may make a grant. It also says that urban transport authorities (united councils) should, over a period of time, assume greater financial responsibility for urban transport, services in their areas. Local bodies are alarmed at the amounts they might have to pay in compensation and assistance to transport operators. Under the bill the United Council must help operators come up to the requirements of its urban transport scheme. If operato. say that assistance is inadequate, the Secretary for Transport can make a decision which will be binding on the United Council. “Let’s face it,” said one worried rural county man. “Any operator can put up a case that his business isn’t profitable. Local authorities might be forced to take over a lot of businesses they don’t want to, and it will be a heavy rates burden on sparsely populated counties.” One aggrieved chairman says that if united councils are forced into a transport role it will be on behalf of Auckland and Wellington. “They need their regional planning and transport tidied up,” he said. “We don’t. We already have constituted bodies well equipped to look after regional planning and transport.”

Local bodies don’t like the way the bill allows Government officials to dominate the Urban Transport Council, and the Minister to dominate the council.

The council is permitted only two local body appointees among its 11 members, and in all its functions it must comply with the directions of the Minister of Transport.

“In the final analysis, what the Minister says, goes,” grunted a senior executive. “That department has a name for empire building, and this just confirms it.”

Councillors are also alarmed at the pace at which the bill is moving towards legislation. Although it is the first time the Government has consulted with local bodies at draft bill stages, they feel that the bill has had a

“hit and miss” referral to interested parties, and could be rushed through select committee hearings to be before the House this session.

United Council representatives are also sceptical about the clause in the Local Government Act that requires them to take an oath to think regionally on the United Council.

“Members will almost inescapably feel some obligation to support the positions taken by their own local body, and that body will frequently feel entitled to direct the appointed member,” says the deputy chairman of the Auckland Regional Authority, Mr E. A. Holdaway. The United Council may also find itself faced with

a few staff redundancies. The Christchurch City Council is obliged, under the Act, to provide administrative services to the United Council. Some secretarial staff

may find themselves redundant if the United Council finally absorbs the Christchurch Transport Board. Footnote: The Minister of Transport (Mr McLach-

lan) says the urban transport bill is “strictly a documental draft” and a “focal point for further discussions with affected parties.” The draft itself is the

outcome of two years of talks with local authorities and other interested parties. Mr McLachlan calls it “the most far-reaching and influential piece of legislation in the urban transport field in decades.”- '